Democracy is alive and well in Illinois, don’t you worry. I guess a shootout used to decide tied elections in Island Lake so I suppose a coin toss is an improvement…
Weather Woes
When I left work last night, I was greeted by thunder, lightening, and a torrential downpour. I was soaked by the time I ran the 10 feet into a waiting cab.
Yes, it’s late April. Yes, temperatures have dropped over 50 degrees since that glorious Sunday. And yes, I have now gotten exactly 5 months of use out of my winter coat.
Chicago, you’re making it so hard to love you right now.
Dreaming of days like this…
A Royal CTA Commute?
The Art Institute of Chicago announced this week it has outfitted 50 train cars on the Red Line with “thrones” in honor of its exhibition “Kings, Queens, and Courtiers: Art in Early Renaissance France.”
CTA riders who post a photo of themselves sitting on one of these CTA “thrones” for a chance to win a “royal treatment” prize.
Winner will receive a private tour of the Art Institute for four, a copy of the “Kings, Queens, and Courtiers: Art in Early Renaissance France” hardcover catalogue, and an overnight stay for two at the Palmer House Hilton.
To be eligible to win, riders must post the photo to theInstitute’s Facebook page by May 30. Official rules here
via Red Eye Chicago
How many times are the words “CTA” and “royalty” in the same sentence? Anything to spice up a morning commute is brilliant in my book!
Sidebar: I wish the CTA would throw the Holiday Train on the tracks randomly throughout the year. Man, I love that thing. Although, I am sure the riders this morning on the Brown Line in between Southport and Belmont just wish the train would stay on the tracks…
The Power of Pink
To say that Bright Pink‘s Fit Fest was a success is an understatement. At the close of the 6 hour fitness marathon, Fit Fest’s 140 participants had raised over $76,000 to fund Bright Pink‘s educational and support programs nationwide! It was the most incredible day- to see such passion and energy flowing from every single person who dedicated their Sunday to being healthy and active as well as fundraising their socks off…well, it’s no surprise that the power of pink can go a long, long way.
My team, Pink Lemonade, was there is full force, sweating it out with the best of ’em. I had so much fun with my team, as well as the other amazing Fit Festers, and I was almost sad to see it all end- I say almost because I can’t imagine being even more sore! Time for a hot bath and another solid night of sleep.
A huge thank you to all of my donors, cheerleaders, and high-fivers- your support means the world to me. And a very special thank you to Lindsay Avner and Leah Drew for the incredible opportunity to get involved with Fit Fest- it was an amazing experience!
For more information on Bright Pink, click here.
Twas The Night Before Fit Fest
Bright Pink’s Fit Fest is tomorrow! I have been looking forward to this event since I was asked to be host in December and I cannot believe it is finally here!
Starting at 9:45 tomorrow morning, 140 athletes and I will be embarking on a 6 hour day of getting our sweat on with classes like tabata, yoga, dance, pilates, and kickboxing, among others, all led by some of my absolute favorite instructors in the city.
As of right this second, we have raised $68,613 from over 1300 generous donors to benefit Bright Pink‘s cause of providing education and support for young women at high-risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Running into founder Lindsay Avner and community outreach guru Leah Drew today only reinforced once again how much I believe in this cause and believe in these women.
I’ve got my outfits ready to go, I’ve incorporated plenty of pink, my team Pink Lemonade is $36 away from our goal and I’ve just carbo loaded with some delish pizza. Fit Fest 2011 is ON!
“Duh” of the Day
My Dad sent me an email today with a link to WebMD’s list of “Foods You Shouldn’t Feed Your Cat“. Since I am very interested in keeping Luna Bell alive, I took a look at the article.
I’m sorry, someone with a medical degree wrote this? You mean that if LB looks like she has a headache, I shouldn’t give her an Advil and a Bloody Mary and tell her to suck it up? I was waiting to read that LB’s love of carbs was frowned upon, or that Ryan needs to lay off feeding her so much wet cat food. Alcohol, human medication, liver, onions, garlic and grapes was really all the insight WebMD could provide?
Better head to the kitchen- the kitty dinner I was preparing of wine-braised liver with sauteed onions and garlic and some grapes and Xanax for dessert apparently isn’t going to cut it. Dry cat foot, it is.
Blog Crush: “The Champagne Bubble”
My favorite blogs are the ones that make me go “What a great idea!” and are often followed by “Why didn’t I think of that?”. Example: FuckYeahChicago. I am sad every day that I didn’t name my blog FuckYeahChicago. Or “The Hotness Your Mama Warned You About“. I mean, c’mon.
Today I stumbled upon something so smart, so original that it deserves a big high five. The Champagne Bubble is rocking my socks off. “Dinner and a Movie, with a classic twist” is its theme- she gives you a recipe, how-to photos included, and then pairs it with an appropriately themed movie! There are so many food blogs out there but this one really takes the interweb cake.
I mean, do you even understand how much I love champagne cocktails? And do you know how much I love the movie “Casablanca“? Imagine my delight when I found a recipe for “The Apricot Nectar Mimosa” paired with “Casablanca”! Perfection, I do declare. Also loved “American Apple Pie” paired with “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Birthday Cupcake” paired with “Troop Beverly Hills” (if you are a girl who was born in the 80s, don’t even tell me you don’t know how to do “The Freddie”.)
I’m going to need some bubbly and some Bogart, stat.
Cleaning House
Sitting in the park on Sunday, sun shining on my face, 85 degree temps allowing me to wear a shirt without sleeves (gasp!) was a game-changer. I’m a pretty healthy eater and have kept my workouts up over the winter but let’s be honest: when it’s 20 degrees for the millionth day in a row, trekking to yoga and then coming home to a healthy meal is the last thing you want to do. There’s been a few bare-minimum workouts at the gym in my building and a lot of hot pasta, I’ll admit…
But it’s Spring now so I’m doing some spring cleaning, from the inside out. Starting with our kitchen. Ryan and I have both been craving fruit and veggies like crazy. Produce this time of year in Chicago isn’t awesome so I picked up frozen fruit at Trader Joe’s and once I buy a blender, we’ll be in business to make smoothies!
Also on my grocery list:
Flax Seed: The health benefits of this little seed include reducing your risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer, stroke and diabetes. Lots of Omega-3s and fiber AND a crunchy taste. I throw it in everything from baked goods to oatmeal to smoothies.
Almond Butter: such a tasty way to get protein, fiber, folic acid, and Vitamin E without “fillers”- good almond butter is literally just crushed almonds. AB&J sandwiches, on toast with a banana (pictured above), in oatmeal…you name it and you can probably put almond butter on it. Trader Joe’s Almond Butter with Flaxseed and Woodstock Farm’s Organic Almond Butter are my favorite.
Hard Boiled Eggs: I don’t eat much meat (make that none, aside from sliced turkey) so it’s important to have good sources of protein on hand- grab and go, right? 12 grams of protein per egg, can’t beat it.
Water: Okay, this is coming from the faucet not the grocery but I am drinking water like it’s going out of style. I’m convinced that everything from fatigue to headaches to bad skin can be cured with lots of H2O. We got really into ordering several 12 packs Diet Coke every time we did a Peapod order and realized that’s just not necessary- we don’t need to be putting that much fake into our bodies, we can still do the occasional Big Gulp when we’re out and about and be perfectly happy.
Also on the “cleaning house” agenda: yoga. Nothing makes me feel as cleansed and whole as yoga. I’ve been scheduling classes in my planner just like regular appointments and I’ve found it whole me way more accountable for actually going. Another help? Making it a date. I practiced with 3 co-workers yesterday at TruHarmony Yoga and it was way more fun than if I had just gone it alone.
Are you doing anything to kick Old Man Winter to the curb? Please share!
via Sepia Beauty
Fashion vs. Style
Carine Roitfeld on instinct and elegance, in Spiegel
I’ve been giving much thought lately on what really evokes great style. Not expensive bags or red-soled shoes or items from an “it-list” that someone else dictated to you but style.
Former editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld, hits the nail on the head in this interview, being candid and provocative in a way that only the French (and maybe Italians) can. Even Carine’s words are stylish. She’s made a mint telling people what fashion is but in this interview, we learn what we have always known: fashion is what you wear, style is who you are.
Worth a read.
(Side Note: this 90th Anniversary Edition of French Vogue was a birthday gift from my best friend that she picked up in Paris. It now lives on my coffee table and I love it.)